Client Health

Where Germs Thrive in a Nail Salon

You might be ready to put flu season and the hyper-vigilance behind you, but before you do, consider the places that some nasty bacteria and viruses hang out waiting to make a comeback.

CLEANLINESS DEFINED

Sanitize: Cleans and reduces the number of pathogens on a surface.Disinfect: Kills most disease-causing pathogens on pre-cleaned surfaces. All implements must be disinfected before use. Disinfection is appropriate for most non-porous, hard surfaces. It is best achieved with an EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant.Sterilize: Kills all living organisms on a surface. Sterilization is not required in most cases. Check your state laws to determine if it is required in your salon. The sterilization method used most in salons is autoclaving.

For ways to fight contamination, visit www.cdc.gov or your state board’s website. Many thanks to the dedicated people at the Centers for Disease Control who took time during this busy flu season to point us in the right direction. They have many resources for businesses fighting germs.